A member of the country’s Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) said that “Covaxin,” the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine developed by India’s Bharat Biotech, is effective in preventing severe COVID-19.
Department of Science and Technology-VEP member Dr. Rontgene Solante said that Covaxin is at least 80 percent effective against the severe form of the viral illness.
“Actually, nung na-evaluate ang Covaxin (ng) Vaccine Experts Panel, mataas ang efficacy niyan, in fact, as high as 80 percent. Mataas ang proteksyon against severe COVID (Actually, when the Covaxin was evaluated by the Vaccine Experts Panel, its efficacy was high, in fact, as high as 80 percent. It provides high levels of protection against severe COVID),” said Solante during the Malacanang press briefing on Tuesday, Aug. 24.
Solante made the statement after vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. reportedly asked the Health Technology Assessment Council to reevaluate Covaxin since “few” countries use it.
“We still maintain our statement that any vaccine, kung pipiliin man ng gobyerno natin na bibilhin (if our government decides to purchase)--those approved by the FDA--those are very effective in the prevention of COVID-19,” he said.
Bharat Biotech has secured an emergency use approval for its COVID-19 vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last April.